If necessary, you can review the the IPlan Assignment sheet here. Complete the process shown in the diagram below by following the steps and answering the questions for each step.
a. Take a few minutes to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher.
Teaching Strengths:
Fun-positive attitude towards students with almost immediate trust gained by majority of class.
Content knowledge and ability to present topic in a variety of different ways depending on students particular multiple intelligences.
Intuitive use of technology and its ability to motivate students rather than more traditional methods (chalkboard, etc.)
Organization in both physical artifacts (homework, tests, etc.) and data artifacts (grade book, missing assignments, etc.)
Teaching Weaknesses:
Over-ambitious (and often unrealistic) in amount of content and depth of content to be presented to class is given time.
Ability to create above-par demonstrations (ones that really motivate the class) to lead off topic (i.e. explosions, unexpectedness, etc.)
Often puts technology ahead of other priorities to gain an aestheticness for the lesson.
Needs express expectations of students for "free-thought" projects more clearly (i.e. rubrics, lab write-ups, etc.).
b. Describe some of your students' strengths and needs that you have noticed so far.
Student's Strengths:
Most have clearly realized what their overall goals and paths are in late-adolescents; background knowledge is in a wide variety of topics.
Almost all students get along very well and communicate well in groups.
Many students see the insertion of a new student teacher as a "fresh-slate" and chance to get a more self-satisfying grade.
Student's Weaknesses:
When class is not very straightforward and rigidly-structured students often daze-out or start conversing.
Background knowledge in English and Mathematics is well-below average.
Nearly 90% of my students are seniors and a select few of them have realized that my class is not even remotely necessary for graduation; this coupled with the fact that nearly every students in this category was failing the class prior; under the instruction of my CT.
c. Download and complete this URI Self Evaluation form based on one of the lessons you taught last week. Be sure to write down specific evidence from either your lesson plan or your memory of your enactment for each assessment you give. Use a highlighter to identify areas of your teaching/lesson that were either below standard or that you feel needs improvement.
a. Review your school improvement document(s). (If you forgot them, download a SALT visit.)
b. Synthesize your review by completing the following table as best your can:
What is the need?
How will improvement help your students?
How will improvement help your school?
RIBT Standard/Element Addressed?
1.
School Security (Buzzed-in at main entrance
Class-cutting will exponentially decrease and students/staff is gain an increased sense of safety in the school.
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2.
3.
4.
Formulate a professional development goal based the needs that you have identified. This goal should be:
measurable/observable
should lead to improvement of teaching, student achievement, and/or improvement of learning environment.
should describe new knowledge or skills that you will acquire and how that knowledge/skill will affect the school/district setting.
linked to applicable Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Standards and elements, e.g. RIBTS 2.4.
In the space below, describe your professional development goal. In a second paragraph, use the information above to provide a rationale for your goal by explaining the personal need that it will address as well as how addressing this goal benefits your students and your school.
I. Professional Development Goal
My first professional development goal is to better understand of the methods of causing intrinsic motivation in students through the use of demonstration. In Physics, it is widely-accepted that concepts need to be presented to students first before there is any hope of understanding the mathematical representations. Aside from relating the topic to students' lives through the use of a story or narrative; often a careful (and well executed) demonstration is a significant memory for students to maintain throughout the year. This new ability will allow both students and teacher alike to create a more positive learning atmosphere that is educational to both. That is why I feel the best PD goal to sought after first is my ability to create numerous-meaningful demonstrations that involve simple and easily/cheaply attainable materials.
Now that you have a PD goal, think about what type of learning opportunities you will participate in to address your needs. Use these links to investigate learning options:
Based on what you have found out, write a 1-2 paragraph narrative outlining at least two ways (PD categories) you will engage in engage in by the end of your first year of teaching. For each activity, explain how you think it will address the need that you have identified.
II. Professional Development Plan
Conference/Workshops & Training Sessions
To fulfill my IPlan, I will take part in a workshop for science (if physics is not specifically available). I will look for a workshop specifically designed with the intent of improving demonstrations and/or lab experiments. Much like the activity we used in EDC430, I will look for workshops that focus not only on the actual hands-on experiment; but the overall psychology of the experiment and how it helps different types of learners across all M.I.'s. My CT discussed a few workshops he had been to in the past including one by Paul G. Hewitt (a modern-pioneer in secondary education physics).
Professional Networks
As a more immediate and consistent method to better improve my knowledge and skill; I will join a professional network of teachers with similar interest (improving demonstrations and experiments). Though workshops provide a great deal of information; they often are held too far apart. By joining a professional network I will be able to consistently discuss different ideas with colleagues and other professionals. In my school currently the science teachers meet on Monday's after school and then break off into small groups to design experiments using the new vernier system purchased a few years back. This appears to be a prime example of what I would be looking for in a professional network that would help me meet my PD goal for first-year teaching.
Print your PD plan to PDF
Post your PD Plan to True Outcomes
Return to True Outcomes to evaluate a peer's plan the following week.
EDC 484 IPlan Synthesis
If necessary, you can review the the IPlan Assignment sheet here. Complete the process shown in the diagram below by following the steps and answering the questions for each step.
You can review the Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Standards (RIBTs) here.
a. Take a few minutes to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher.
b. Describe some of your students' strengths and needs that you have noticed so far.
c. Download and complete this URI Self Evaluation form based on one of the lessons you taught last week. Be sure to write down specific evidence from either your lesson plan or your memory of your enactment for each assessment you give. Use a highlighter to identify areas of your teaching/lesson that were either below standard or that you feel needs improvement.
a. Review your school improvement document(s). (If you forgot them, download a SALT visit.)
b. Synthesize your review by completing the following table as best your can:
Formulate a professional development goal based the needs that you have identified. This goal should be:
In the space below, describe your professional development goal. In a second paragraph, use the information above to provide a rationale for your goal by explaining the personal need that it will address as well as how addressing this goal benefits your students and your school.
I. Professional Development Goal
My first professional development goal is to better understand of the methods of causing intrinsic motivation in students through the use of demonstration. In Physics, it is widely-accepted that concepts need to be presented to students first before there is any hope of understanding the mathematical representations. Aside from relating the topic to students' lives through the use of a story or narrative; often a careful (and well executed) demonstration is a significant memory for students to maintain throughout the year. This new ability will allow both students and teacher alike to create a more positive learning atmosphere that is educational to both. That is why I feel the best PD goal to sought after first is my ability to create numerous-meaningful demonstrations that involve simple and easily/cheaply attainable materials.
Now that you have a PD goal, think about what type of learning opportunities you will participate in to address your needs. Use these links to investigate learning options:
Based on what you have found out, write a 1-2 paragraph narrative outlining at least two ways (PD categories) you will engage in engage in by the end of your first year of teaching. For each activity, explain how you think it will address the need that you have identified.
II. Professional Development Plan
Conference/Workshops & Training Sessions
To fulfill my IPlan, I will take part in a workshop for science (if physics is not specifically available). I will look for a workshop specifically designed with the intent of improving demonstrations and/or lab experiments. Much like the activity we used in EDC430, I will look for workshops that focus not only on the actual hands-on experiment; but the overall psychology of the experiment and how it helps different types of learners across all M.I.'s. My CT discussed a few workshops he had been to in the past including one by Paul G. Hewitt (a modern-pioneer in secondary education physics).
Professional Networks
As a more immediate and consistent method to better improve my knowledge and skill; I will join a professional network of teachers with similar interest (improving demonstrations and experiments). Though workshops provide a great deal of information; they often are held too far apart. By joining a professional network I will be able to consistently discuss different ideas with colleagues and other professionals. In my school currently the science teachers meet on Monday's after school and then break off into small groups to design experiments using the new vernier system purchased a few years back. This appears to be a prime example of what I would be looking for in a professional network that would help me meet my PD goal for first-year teaching.